Fresh Air
by Melanie Ting
Late one night, a tall and athletic stranger bursts into a veterinary clinic with a terribly injured kitten. Veterinary tech, Janet Samson, rushes to his aid, but she only notices the injured cat. The next day, she discovers that he's actually a professional hockey player, but will that be enough to ignite some animal attraction?
How The Cookie Crumbles
by Melanie Ting
Frankie Taylor is an outgoing brunette whose world crumbles when her boyfriend unexpectedly dumps her. She flees across the country to a small town, which just happens to be the summer home of a partying hockey player named Jake Cookson. And when they meet, well gosh – it's love at first sight. No, that's not quite true. When they meet, Frankie hardly notices him, and by the time she does... Jake's taking off to begin the hockey season. Talk about missed connections.
They're hardly a match made in heaven. She's classy and cultured, while he's beer and burgers. Really, all they have in common is a love of good food. And yet there's a spark between them! Will that spark turn into a flame? It's an up and down journey on the high calorie road to love.
Author Bio:
Melanie Ting is a hockey fan and cat lover who lives in Vancouver, B.C. Her hobbies include reading, hiking, and coaching NHL hockey by yelling at the television. She has published two books: a novella called Fresh Air, and an extremely long novel entitled How The Cookie Crumbles. You can find her blog at www.melanieting.blogspot.com
Interview:
How long did it take you to write How The Cookie Crumbles?
This book began as an online serial, and took about nine months to write, just like having a baby! However, when I decided to publish it, it took a few months to revise and edit. So, about a year altogether.
What is your favorite part of the story, How The Cookie Crumbles?
My favourite parts are the emotional highs and lows of the story. I really enjoy writing the funny parts, and I hope that my readers laugh when they read them. But there is one scene, where Frankie leans against her door and Jake is on the other side – I cried when I wrote it, and then I cried when I read it. Of course, after I had to reread it 40 times while editing, it lost that emotional power. Now I only sniffle when I read it.
Who is your favorite character?
Frankie, of course. My heroines are always a combination of characteristics I have and characteristics I wish I had. Like Frankie, I’m sarcastic and I also have an alarming tendency to be a control-freak perfectionist. I can’t fill out a bra the way she does though.
Who or what inspired you to be a writer?
I guess it was my obsession with hockey that made me start writing hockey romances. When you know the human-interest stories behind the athletes, it makes any game much more interesting. I really like hearing about hockey players who overcame obstacles to make the NHL, it inspires me to persevere with my goals too.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
I honestly never get writer’s block. I think it’s because I began as a serial writer and I knew I had to post a chapter every night. If I didn’t post on time, I’d get complaints – it’s like having an electronic mom to nag you! My one tip would be to write chapters out of order, write the parts you’re excited about first and work through the connecting sections later.
I do get editor’s block and I often wish that magical editing fairies would visit me. Until that happens, I try to power through with my headphones on and music to keep me company. Or I go old-school: I print out the chapters and mark them up with a red pen – very satisfying.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Yes, I’m currently working on two projects, I’m writing a novella about a very mismatched couple, which is actually set in lovely Vancouver where I live. I am also editing a trilogy I’ve written about a young woman who is hockey-obsessed: she plays hockey, watches hockey, and likes hockey players.
Here’s an excerpt from the first book of the trilogy. To set this up, Kelly is seventeen, but she’s always been more interested in hockey than boys. I guess you could describe her as a bit of a tomboy. However, she’s just started dating for the first time, and her best friend, April, is very keen to meet the lucky guy.
April had been bugging me about getting to meet Nicklas. She had heard he was cute and she was extremely curious about someone she referred to as “the guy who turned Kelly Tanaka into a woman.” The problem was that Nicklas and I ran in two different social circles, which never seemed to overlap. When April began threatening to stalk us, I finally figured out a night when he had a game at Ice Sports, and I had a game after him. April could come to the rink with me and meet him in the half hour overlap between those two events.
April pulled up in my driveway, and I was all ready. I ran out and stuck my hockey bag and sticks in the back of her mom’s VW Golf, and then I hopped into the passenger seat.
“Okay, let’s go!” I said, cheerily.
April turned off the ignition.
“What in the name of all that is ugly, are you wearing?”
I looked down. “Oh, this? This is my team tracksuit. It’s not too attractive is it? But we have to wear it to every game, you know, because we’re a team.”
“Team Totally Hideous! And are you wearing a sports bra again?”
“Duh! I’m playing hockey, which is a sport, therefore the sports bra.”
“Okay, but aren’t we meeting your boyfriend first? A boyfriend who is allegedly one of the cutest guys on the North Shore?”
“Yeah, but he knows why I have to dress like this. Besides, who can look sexy in a track suit?”
“Have you never seen Victoria Beckham? For starters, you could get a suit that fits a bit tighter. Okay, let’s go to your room,” she said as she opened the car door.
“What? April, this is not a makeover situation! Everyone else on the team is wearing their tracksuits; I have to wear mine too.”
“Oh Kelly, and if all the other girls were jumping off the bridge, would you too? Do you know how eight-years-old you sound? Don’t worry; I won’t make you change completely, only a bit.” She saw I was hesitating, “Quick now, it will go faster if you just obey me. Have I ever steered you wrong?”
“Yes, what about the time when we drank Hard Lemonade at the grade seven grad?”
“Okay, that was a mistake, but that was not a fashion decision. I am never wrong about fashion.”
Ten minutes later we were back in the car. I looked ridiculous, in my opinion. April had safety-pinned the tracksuit in some weird way, so that was now tighter at the waist and bust. I was wearing a push-up bra and a low cut tank top underneath a strategically unzipped jacket that I wasn’t allowed to zip up any higher. Luckily she hadn’t made me change from my running shoes into hooker heels, because then I could not have lugged my hockey gear into the arena.
No title yet, but I’m hoping to have the book revised and published by the end of the year. I want to complete editing on all three books, so I can publish them with only a short gap between.
What book are you reading now?
Right now, I’m reading Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, which is hilarious so far, and introducing me to a whole new world of over-the-top wealth in Singapore. I just finished the fascinating Daily Rituals by Mason Currey, which details the routines of creative people. It proves that writers are pretty strange. For example, George Simenon, wrote 425 mysteries and slept with 10,000 women. Incredible, right? I mean, how the heck did he write so many books?
What do you prefer paperback, hardcover, or ebooks?
Yes! I love to read books in all formats, usually at the same time.
Well, I certainly enjoyed this post. :) You must have some great readers, Diane, in one day I've already seen a bump in sales. Thanks so much for promoting indie authors.
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